EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Colossians 4:5
5When you are with people who do not believe in Christ, be careful how you live. Use every chance to do good things.
Colossians 4:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
- New International Version (NIV)Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.
Context of Colossians 4:5
3Also pray for us. Ask God to make it possible for us to tell people his message. We want people to understand the message about Christ that was a secret before. I am now in a prison because I taught people those things. 4Pray that I will be able to tell people this message clearly. That is what I should do. When you are with people who do not believe in Christ, be careful how you live. Use every chance to do good things. 6When you speak to people, always speak kind words. Say things that will help them. Then, when someone asks you a question, you will know how to reply. 7Our Christian friend, Tychicus, will tell you all the news about me. He works hard to serve the Lord. Like me, he is the Lord's servant.
Read all of Colossians 4Colossians 4:5 word by word
Ἐν σοφίᾳ περιπατεῖτε πρὸς τοὺς ἔξω τὸν καιρὸν ἐξαγοραζόμενοι.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Colossians 4:5
- Colossians 3:16Let Christ's message always be in your thoughts, with all the good things that it brings. Use that message to teach and to warn each other. Be very wise as you do that. And also sing all kinds of spiritual songs to praise God. Sing psalms and Christian songs. As you sing, thank God from inside yourselves.
- Psalms 90:12Teach us to count carefully the days of our short lives. Then we will be wise in how we live.
- Matthew 10:16Jesus then said to his disciples, ‘Listen well. I am sending you to people who will want to kill you. You will be like sheep among wild animals. You must watch carefully, like snakes do. But you must also be good and kind like doves.
- Romans 16:19Everyone knows that you obey God well. So I am very happy because of you. But I want you to understand clearly what things are good. And I want you to stay away from the things that are bad.
- 1 Corinthians 14:19But when the church meets together, I want to help other believers and teach them. So I would rather say five words that people understand than thousands of words in a different language.
- Ephesians 5:15So you must be very careful how you live. Live like people who are wise. Do not live like fools.
- James 1:5But maybe you need to know how to be wise. Then ask God to help you. He is ready to give everyone what they need. And he never says that it is wrong to ask. So God will help you to be wise.
- James 3:13Do some of you think that you are wise? Do you think that you are clever? If so, show that you are wise by the way that you live. Be kind to other people. Do things that are good. That is what it means to be wise.
- 1 Corinthians 5:12It is not right for me to decide about people who do not belong to the church group. God will judge those people. But you should decide what is right for the people who do belong to your group. Do what the Bible says: ‘Send the bad person away from among yourselves.’
- 1 Thessalonians 4:12If you live in this way, other people who are not believers will respect you. Also, you will not have to ask anyone else to give you the things that you need.
- 1 Timothy 3:7Also, people outside the church should agree that the leader is a good person. Then nobody can say anything bad against him. And so, he will not come under the Devil's power.
- 1 Peter 3:1I need to speak to you wives. You should each respect the authority of your own husband. Even if your husband does not believe God's message about Jesus Christ, you should still respect him. If you do that, he may then turn to God and believe his message. You will not need to tell him what is true. He will see the good way that you live.
- Ephesians 5:16Many bad things are happening in these days. So, whenever you have a chance to do something good, do as much as you can.
Commentaries on Colossians 4:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Walk in wisdom - Act wisely and prudently in reference to them who are without - who yet continue unbelieving Gentiles or persecuting Jews. The Church of Christ was considered an enclosure; a field, or vineyard, well hedged or walled. Those who were not members of it, were considered without; i.e. not under that especial protection and defense which the true followers of Christ had. This has been since called "The pale of the Church," from palus, a stake…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Walk in wisdom - That is, conduct uprightly and honestly. Deal with them on the strictest principles of integrity, so that they may not have occasion to reproach the religion which you profess. Toward them that are without - Without the pale of the church, or who are not professing Christians; see the notes at 1 Corinthians 5:12. They were surrounded by pagans, as Christians now are by men of the world. The injunction is one that requires us to act with…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 2-6Verses 2-6 No duties can be done aright, unless we persevere in fervent prayer, and watch therein with thanksgiving. The people are to pray particularly for their ministers. Believers are exhorted to right conduct towards unbelievers. Be careful in all converse with them, to do them good, and recommend religion by all fit means. Diligence in redeeming time, commends religion to the good opinion of others. Even what is only carelessness may cause a lasting…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5redeeming the time (literally buy up the time): Just like people buy up a product at a good price, Christians should take advantage of every opportunity God gives them to share the good news and serve others.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. (See on Ep 5:15, 16.) in wisdom--practical Christian prudence. them ... without--Those not in the Christian brotherhood (1Co 5:12; 1Th 4:12). The brethren, through love, will make allowances for an indiscreet act or word of a brother; the world will make none. Therefore be the more on your guard in your intercourse with the latter, lest you be a stumbling-block to their conversion. redeeming the time--The Greek expresses, buying up for yourselves, and…Read the comment
Topics related to Colossians 4:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Colossians 4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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